


The Last of Us

by YallHearSumn



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Daenerys Targaryen Is Not a Mad Queen, Daenerys Targaryen-centric, Eventual Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen, F/M, House Martell, House Stark, House Targaryen, Jon Snow is a Targaryen, Jon Snow-centric, Minor Khal Drogo/Daenerys Targaryen, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Multiple, R Plus L Equals J, Rhaenys Targaryen Lives, Targaryen Babies, Targaryen Incest, Viserys Targaryen Lives
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-24
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:20:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22380961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YallHearSumn/pseuds/YallHearSumn
Summary: A Viper awakens three slumbering dragons in the East, and the world is never the same again.Towards the end of Robert's Rebellion, King Aerys Targaryen sends his pregnant wife, heir and granddaughter to the family's ancient fortress of Dragonstone, a last act of sanity, some would say. Elsewhere, Ned Stark arrives at the Tower of Joy to find his sister dying in her birthing bed, a princeling clutched in her arms.
Relationships: Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark, Doran Martell/Mellario of Norvos, Jon Snow/Daenerys Targaryen, Khal Drogo/Daenerys Targaryen, Oberyn Martell/Ellaria Sand, Rhaenys Targaryen (Daughter of Elia)/Viserys Targaryen
Comments: 37
Kudos: 61





	1. Slumbering Dragons

**Author's Note:**

> I've made a few nips and tucks to canon (besides my own canon divergence ofc) to suit the story a bit better.
> 
> Book purists, put the torches down and gone head to another story, but if you do stay, I sincerely hope you guys enjoy it.
> 
> Any tag suggestions, pleeeeaaase let me know. I've never written for asoiaf/got before, so this is new for me lol

When Daenerys was a young girl, her brother and niece disappeared into the night. For weeks, Magister Illyrio sent parties out to search for them; the men had combed the city, from bathhouses to the dinky brothels and inns in the lower city, and the large houses of other Pentoshi magisters. They searched, but no trace was left by the princess and prince. 

Dany had been asked if she knew where they were, but she didn't, and a small part of her felt both hurt from them leaving her behind, and shame for disrespecting the kind magister who had taken them in when others hadn't. Magister Illyrio had kept her in his golden cage (as Dany liked to call it), certain that they would return for her, but Dany was not so sure. 

Though they loved her, and were the only family she ever knew, Rhaenys and Viserys had always been closer to each other than to her. They had shared pain she could not remember, exchanged secret smiles and secret words when they thought no one was looking, and had a shared dream: getting back _home._

____

__

Dany didn't share their love for the distant land of Westeros; she had no memory of the place she was born, and had never seen the marvels of the Red Keep or the Sept of Baelor. The only home she had ever known was the house with the red door, with old Ser Willem. She had been happy there, and for a brief moment, when days stretched into months and the pair still hadn't returned, she considered stealing away and going in search of it. If she had a dragon of her own, she could have taken flight to Braavos easily, and nothing would have been able to chain her to the ground, not her fears or Illyrio's guards. She would rule the skies and the winds, while Rhaenys and Viserys ruled their Seven Kingdoms. 

But all the dragons were dead, and those were a child's dreams. She knew better than anyone else that the world beyond these walls wasn't one she could survive in on her own. 

*** 

When the moon turned again, and the pair still hadn't returned, she became scared of what would become of her. Would the magister kick her out? He'd been brooding the loss of his Targaryen prince and princess, but had kept Dany close, posting a guard at her door and having one of his servants follow her throughout the day.  
_If he means to give me over to slavers or a pleasurehouse, surely I could convince him to keep me here, _she thought desperately, face turned to the city beyond his walls. She could wash his clothes or be his cupbearer, maybe he'd be understanding and give her time to learn under his kitchen servants, and when she had repaid the debt they owed him, she could earn wages and one day have a house of her own. She'd build it somewhere warm, with a lemon tree in the backyard outside of her window and a red door facing the street; Rhaenys and Viserys would have a room to share there as well.__

____

____

*** 

"Baelon the Brave was a knight at six-and-ten!" 

Jon laughed, huddling closer to his little brother over their stolen book. He had made away with Maester Luwin's copy of 'Fire and Blood' after their lessons, Robb keeping the old man distracted with questions over the truth of Old Nan's stories. "I think Ser Bran the Brave could become one at five-and-ten." 

Bran's eyes shined, his little hands fisted in Jon's furs. "Five-and-ten is a bit late for someone as brave as him, Jon. I wager he'll be entering tourneys the lists at thirteen, unhorsing golden-haired Lannisters and knights from every corner of the world," Robb chimed in, ruffling the boys curls. 

"I can't unhorse anyone at thirteen!" Bran cried, giggling between his brother's. "I'd be too little!" 

"And too slow!" Arya roared, climbing on Jon's back to see the pictures. "Ser Bran the Baby would suit him better." 

Jon sighed, reaching around to pull his sister from his back. "Arya-" 

"What? It's the truth. I'm a better rider than him, and soon, I'll be better than him at swordplay too." 

"You can both be good at the same things," Robb chastised, consoling Bran who had burst into tears at their sister's teasing. 

Arya only pouted, crossing her arms stubbornly and sitting back in Jon's hold. "You and Jon fight over who's better all the time, why is it wrong when I do it?" 

"We only jape with each other, I believe Maester Luwin calls that a healthy rivalry," Jon tells her, tugging on one of her braids playfully. "Did you know Prince Baelon had a sister who was just as good in the training yard as he and Aemon were? And we all know Queen Visenya was as much a warrior as Aegon the Dragon was." 

Arya scrunched her nose up, her resolve not faltering. "Princess Alyssa married Baelon, I wouldn't want to marry Bran." 

"I wouldn't want to marry you either," Bran said darkly. 

Robb had had enough. "If you two continue your fighting, we'll send you both back to your rooms and finish the book by ourselves." 

Though still unhappy, they both settled down quietly, listening to Jon's steady voice recount the reign of the Old King and his Good Queen Alysanne. 

*** 

Rhaenys and Viserys do return, not in chains or carried in by the scruffs of their necks, but married and with a babe growing in her niece's belly. 

Dany is entranced by Rhaenys's bump, and the babe fluttering beneath her fingers every time she pressed her hands to the swell. "It's so big." 

Her good-sister laughs, covering Dany's hands with her own. "I know, it feels so strange to me. There's a big little person growing inside me." 

"They must be in a hurry to get out, judging from the size of you." Dany presses her face to the bump, unbothered by their kicks. 

"I think it's going to be a girl," Rhaenys whispers, almost scared to speak any louder. "Wouldn't that be lovely? I know Viserys wants a boy, but I can't help but hope either." 

Dany smiles at the excitement in her voice, squeezing their joined hands. "We'd be the best of friends." 

"I know you will, and one day when you have your own little princelings, we'll marry our children to each other and restore or house back to glory." She had a curl to her lip Dany had seen many times before, when she and Viserys spoke of taking back Westeros. "The archmaesters will write of two princesses who brought their house back from extinction, Rhaenys, and her little sister, Daenerys." 

"I hope I have girls," Dany says, tracing a finger over the expanse of her good-sister's belly. "Ser Willem said girls were easier than boys." 

Rhaenys laughs, and the babe gives a hard kick to her side. She cringes a little, and runs a soothing hand over her belly. "He only told you that because you were a sweetling, but all Targaryens have fire in their veins, even the girls and the sweet ones." 

*** 

Viserys swore that if the only thing he heard for the rest of his life was his wife and sister's laughter, he would die a happy man. He was an ambitious man, however, and life had so much more to give him than this. 

Peering into the room, he saw Rhaenys and Dany laying close together, his wife's belly the centre of their attention. "The two of you keep him out of sleep and then wonder why he flutters around in your belly throughout the day." 

" _She _is loving her aunt's attention, might be we have a dancer on our hands, her kicks are so strong," Dany replies, sharing a smile with Rhaenys.__

____

____

"That's not fair, love." Viserys crosses the room, laying on the other side of Rhaenys. "You two have outnumbered me our whole lives, at least grant me this." 

"No at a chance, this is Dany and my baby. You can have the next one." 

"Fine, then Dany will have to give me all of her sons since she means to steal my firstborn." 

"Don't rock the boat, Vis. She's already angry with us." 

"You are, little sister?" 

Dany just huffs, going back to counting the babe's kicks. _Ten, or was that nine?_

____

____

"What can we do to make it up to you? We brought you candied almonds, you should have some, Dany. What the Dornish lack in winemaking, they make up for with their sweet treats." 

"The Dornish?" Dany asks, frowning in confusion. "Where did you get money to go to the market? I hope you didn't steal from Illyrio," she says then, panic making her voice rise. They could get their hands cut off, or sold to slavers to repay the debt. 

"Shh, sweet girl, we stole nothing." Rhaenys kisses the top of her head, and Dany sees her only family in the world share another one of their secret smiles. "Do you remember my uncle? The one we met all those years ago?" 

Dany wrinkles her nose, trying to remember who they were speaking of. They had had many 'uncles' and 'aunts' over the years, but Rhaenys still had family who remained to her on her mother's side, the Martells of Dorne who weren't _technically _allowed to have contact with her. "I don't recall an uncle, only the stories you've told me of Prince Doran's wife."__

____

____

Mellario Martell had left Dorne under the guise of estrangement from her husband, but had in fact travelled to the Free Cities in search of their sweet Elia's daughter, in the hopes of protecting the girl and taking her to Norvos with her. Find her, she did, but Rhaenys was as wilful as every Martell Mellario had ever encountered, and the girl had refused to leave her companions. It wasn't safe for them in Westeros either, so Mellario had paid for their passage to Braavos, and given old Ser Willem enough coin for them to live comfortably for a year or two. 

"Uncle Oberyn was the one who sent Mellario east to find us, and later, he came here as a sellsword, don't you remember? He carried you across the city strapped to his front." 

Dany had no such memories, but she was familiar with who Prince Oberyn was. 

"He sent a messenger to us months ago, Magister Illyrio never knew," Rhaenys whispered, pulling Dany closer to them. "We met him at the docks and he took us on board his vessel, it's why we were gone for so long. We saw Dorne!" Viserys hushed her, glancing around the room uneasily. "I'm sorry, it's just so exciting." 

"You should have seen it Dany, we saw the Greenblood, where Nymeria had docked, but we weren't taken to Sunspear. Uncle Oberyn doesn't trust the maesters, and believes there to be spies in uncle Doran's court." 

"Where did you go?" Dany asks, hooked on her every word. Her heart was beating faster than she could ever remember, and her hands had balled into fists. 

"Lemonwood, Oberyn has people he trusts there," Rhaenys informs her, sharing another look with Viserys. "Which leads us to our next point..." 

"The winds are changing in Westeros, Dany. The dragons may be gone, but we are not, and the kingdoms of Westeros have been suffering under Robert's rule." 

Dany watched him uneasily, pushing herself up to sit rather than lay. "And I suppose the lords toast secret toasts to your health? Viserys, the people who tell you these things only seek your favour. They don't intend to put you on the throne, but they do hope you remember their honeyed words if ever you do get there." 

"Dany-" 

"I'm sorry, I know that your uncle loves you, that cannot be denied, but you would have Dorne burn to get your crown? The two of you were gone for _months, _what could you have possibly learned in Lemonwood, of all places? Why didn't your uncle take you to Sunspear? Did Doran even know you were there?"__

____

____

"I understand that you're scared, Dany, but trust in us. Trust in the people who love you more than life," Rhaenys implores, clasping Dany's pale hand in hers. 

"Robert has hunted us our whole lives, how can we go back there with no support and no armies? He murdered Aegon and your mother ruthlessly, _dragonspawn, _he called us."__

____

____

"That's exactly why we need to do this. As long as he lives, as long as those Lannisters pull the strings, we will never be safe. We could go to the ends of the earth, and he would still not be satisfied." Viserys stands then, circling the bed to stand beside Dany. "Maybe it's the baby, or maybe I'm just tired of running, but something needs to give. I won't have him hunting my family for the rest of our lives." 

Dany stays silent, staring at her hands folded in her lap. "I want that as well, but we need to be realistic. What could the three of us possibly do?" 

"What we've always done: survive." 

*** 

That night, as she lay between Rhaenys and Viserys, her niece's belly pressed to her side, she dreams of castles and keeps, and the shadow of a great winged beast flying across fields of snow. 

*** 

The next morning, Illyrio requests Rhaenys and Daenerys break their fasts in their rooms, summoning Viserys to his quarters. 

The princesses comply for a time, but then Rhaenys darts up from her seat, complaining about being left out. "He must think Viserys stole me away, as if I don't have a mind of my own." 

"If you'd like, I know a place we can listen in on them without them ever knowing," Dany offers, remembering the rooms and spaces she had discovered during her confinement in Illyrio's residence. 

Rhaenys laughs, grabbing a hold of Dany's wrist. "You've been getting into trouble while I was gone." 

*** 

Sneaking around with a pregnant woman is harder than either of them had anticipated, but finally, after dodging servants and guards, they make it down to the cellar. In the very back behind casks of wine was grate, directly positioned below Illyrio's solar, an opportune place to listen in on any conversations occuring at the moment. 

"-ssed a Dothraki _Khal, _my prince. This action will not be taken lightly."__

____

____

"What could he possibly do? You can have twenty thousand Unsullied at the city gates in the blink of an eye." 

"Be that as it may, my prince, but Khal Drogo has been a friend to us for a very long time. He was promised a princess when last we spoke, and now nothing awaits him but a king without a crown and his pregnant bride." 

Viserys had raged at that for a time, for he was a prideful man, prideful, but not stupid. "I have a sister, with more of the Valyrian look than Rhaenys, and even I, ever had," he replies, and Dany can feel her blood turn to ice. 

Having heard enough, she rushed out of the cellar, not caring whether Rhaenys had followed her or not. 

*** 

Viserys breached the subject with her over supper, Rhaenys looking at her lap the entire time. 

"I'm sorry," was all he said when he was finished, squeezing her hand and going back to his meal. 

Dany didn't look at her brother with much affection after, though she bore Rhaenys no ill-will. They'd grown up on stories of Duncan Targaryen who'd abdicated his claim to marry Jenny of Oldstones, and their ancestors Alysanne and Jaehaerys, who had run off and wed in the dinky sept on Dragonstone despite their mother's plans for them. One great romance was all either of them ever wanted, and Rhaenys had found hers. 

Dany finds Khal Drogo frightening. She had pressed herself into dark corners avoiding the man when he'd visited Magister Ilyrio, and now thinking of his attention being entirely on _her _made her breakout into a cold sweat. He is much bigger than she is, much bigger than even Viserys, and they shared no common tongue. She wasn't any good at reading his looks either, and a fortnight before she is to marry him, she rushes to Illyrio, begging him to send her off with a translator. "When Viserys takes the Seven Kingdoms, we can repay your kindness tenfold, my lord."__

____

____

The man had laughed with such a force that she could see his chins shaking. "Oh, princess, fear not. We will have everything arranged by your wedding. No need to worry about these things, you need only wait for the time to come." 

The closer the weddding got, the angrier and more desperate she became. In a moment of hopelessness, she lashes out at her brother and niece. "You should have wed both of us, like Aegon the Dragon and his sisters, instead of resigning me to a life travelling Essos and never finding a home." 

They had been silenced by her outburst, but Rhaenys had got up to comfort her. What words could they possibly say to mend her heart? 

"You are still young, and love can be learned," Viserys had tried to reassure her, rocking the two of them in his arms. 

Other thoughts were plaguing Daenerys, thoughts about the future that she dare not speak out loud. Though she had only ever known the house with the red door to be her home, Viserys and Rhaenys had always had eyes on Westeros. When they take it, where would she be? By their side, or her lord husband's? And once they had it, when they'd returned to their home, would she be able to stay, or would they send her off on a ship back to her horselord? 

She did not sleep any easier after that night, despite their comfort. 

*** 

At the presentation ceremony, Drogo takes one look at her and rides off along with his _khalasar, _with not a word exchanged beside their introductions done by one of Ilyrio's servants.__

____

____

Thankfully, Viserys is just as confused as her, asking the magister whether he had accepted the proposal. 

"We would have known if he hadn't," Illyrio reassures them, going back to discussing armies and plans of war with her brother. 

Daenerys had run crying to Rhaenys any way. She was doomed to be brutalised and ridden like one of his horses, a thing to own rather than a person to share his life with. 

"I wish I could have married one of your cousins," Daenerys whispered, frightened that the wind would carry her voice to her _khal's _ears.__

____

____

"I wish that too, sweet sister. If only Oberyn had come to find us sooner, I would have taken you with and hidden you amongst the sand." 

"He wants to take us to Dorne, back home. Does that still apply to me?" 

Rhaenys had stared at her with sad eyes, drawing Daenerys into a hug. "Oh sweet sister, there is nothing for us in Westeros but death and grief if we do not act smartly. We cannot go back there until we have gathered an army of our own. Your Drogo has an entire _khalasar _he has pledged to our cause thanks to you," Rhaenys said, holding Dany to her chest.__

____

____

She paused then, guiding her good-sister's hand to her belly. "You've never spoken of Westeros as your home before." 

"Anywhere that isn't here would feel like home now." 

*** 

Her wedding succeeds in making her even more frightened of her new husband. He grunts and gestures, leading her with a stern hand this way and that, but is gentle enough when he places her on the pale mare he'd gifted her, her silver the prettiest thing she had ever seen. 

Illyrio gifts her dragon eggs, and a host of other treasures she soon forgets in favour of staring at the scaled objects. Her attention is soon stolen again, upon her meeting with Ser Jorah, an exiled Westerosi knight, and three handmaidens her husband gifts her. "Your own ladies-in-waiting," Rhaenys jests, giving her hand a squeeze. 

The Dothraki, thankfully, do not bed their partners in front of their khalasar on the first night, and Dany finds some strength in that. Drogo, blunt and charged with a bride he cannot understand, is surprisingly sweet with her that first night, and under the watchful eyes of the stars and three petrified dragon eggs, she becomes a woman. 

*** 

Daenerys finds little joy in her new life; while Rhaenys takes to riding like a fish to water, and Viserys has no qualms about their accommodations beside the occasional concern for his wife's health with all the traveling, Dany cannot seem to get used to any of it. She's ridden every night, and plopped on her pale mare every morning to endure another day's ride with only Rhaenys and Ser Jorah of Westeros to keep her company (she was still angry with Viserys, that had not changed despite his attempts at winning back her love). 

Within a week, her thighs and hands are torn up, and her handmaidens can do little improve her foul moods. It is Doreah who suggests taking control of at least one aspect of her life, and Dany is eager to learn how to please Drogo, both in the bedroom, and with her speech. If she is to be shackled to this life, opening her heart and trying to get used to the way of the Dothraki can only help her more than it could hurt it. 

Her Dothraki is stilted and she seems to stumble over her own tongue more often than not, but Irri and Jhiqui are patient with her, and Doreah and Rhaenys take over her other lessons. 

Dany blushes a bright red the first time Rhaenys straddles her hips, her great belly resting on Dany. She blushes again the first time she tries her new talents on Drogo, and he smiles at her attempt to seduce him in his language. 

When he is asleep and curled around her, a dull ache between her legs and his arms a protective shield across her chest, Dany looks to her dragon eggs and feels _hope._


	2. That which is my memory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brothers and sisters, and dreams of another day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now girlies, I'm not holding a gun to your head forcing you to read this, this is for fun, and this is me writing shit I'd have liked to see explored. I'm not George, I don't have a way with words like he does, and sometimes I fuck up, that's on me - one day I'll edit and do things right.
> 
> Anyway, if you're unsatisfied with this, don't read, and don't fucking leave me shitty comments. I honestly beg you not to, because I don't want to lose my muse again.
> 
> With that said, I hope you enjoy this short chapter, and expect the next chapter soon if you're into the story because I'm just figuring out the last pov of chapter 3.
> 
> Sorry for long note, read, enjoy, and have fun.

Jon was always careful putting the training swords away. Normally it was Ser Rodrick's boys duties to distribute and pack them away after practice, but today they had all joined Jon's father and his party on a hunt with the King, and so the work had fallen to Jon, for lack of anything better to do. 

He reached down to pick up one of the wooden swords the crown prince and Robb had used, testing the weight and balance with his sword hand. When he'd seen Robb and the royal prat going at each other in the yard, Jon had wanted nothing more than to join them and knock the prince right on his ass. The golden-haired boy had become infuriated when Robb bested him, and had accused his brother of cheating, to which Robb responded by trying to swing on him. Ser Rodrick had intervened then, but for a second Jon could have sworn he would have let Robb get a hit or two in first. Had Jon been beside his brother instead of Theon fucking Greyjoy, he woul- 

"What are you doing?" A little voice interrupted his thoughts. Turning around, Jon saw his sister climbing the wooden fence into the yard and making her way to the shed, Nymeria at her heels. 

"I'm putting away the swords." Nymeria trotted over to her brother, curling around Ghost with a huff. "What are you doing out here? Why aren't you with the little ladies?" 

She scrunched her nose up, gathering the padding littered by the door. "I left. Why aren't you with father?" 

"Father did not want to give insult to the King," Jon said, a tug at his heart remembering the conversation he had had with his father this morning. "Besides, someone needed to stay behind to make sure you didn't steal a horse and join them yourself." 

His little sister laughed at that, elbowing him in the side. "Father would never forgive me, and Robb would run me all the way back to Winterfell." 

"They're only looking out for you, you know. These southerners are not like us, and their ladies would turn their noses up at you, little sister. Old Nan says they're made of wind and water, and Father only wants you to make friends before you leave for King's Landing." 

"Well I hate it, and I hate the princess, and I hate Sansa, and Jeyne Poole, and all the ladies they snicker with about me behind my back." She stomped her foot and Jon knelt down to fold his arms around his sister, drawing her into his embrace. "It's not my fault I'm not pretty like them, or know all my prayers. I _try."_

____

____

Her shoulders had started shaking, and Jon found he had little words of comfort for her. "I'm sure Sansa doesn't mean to tease you; the princess will be her good-sister, and she's to make a good impression on her," Jon says, smoothing her hair back out of her face. Her eyes were grey like his, and out of all of his half-siblings, she looked the most like him. "Remember, long after you marry or go on one of your epic adventures, she will be staying with the prince and his family. It would not do her any good to upset the girl." 

"So she would sooner mock her _real _sister to impress a silly girl and her stupid companions?"__

____

____

"She herself is only a girl. One day you'll be older and understand," Jon tried to reason, unsure of how to make her feel better. "Her position isn't easy either, she has to tread carefully among these lions. Besides," he paused, turning her head this way and that, "Father always says you look just like aunt Lyanna, and she was one of the prettiest maids of her age." 

Arya huffed, her face twisted in a frown and eyes downcast. Jon would not get through to her today, but he'd keep trying. _Gods be good, protect them in that nest of snakes. May they learn to understand each other, _Jon shot up, his mind envisioning the heart tree in the godswood.__

____

____

"I'll tell you what, how about you go and hide in my room and I'll steal us some treats from the kitchens. Gage will be too busy to see me." Arya gave him a small smile, bouncing on her toes while Jon put the rest of the swords away. "Now go before the septa catches you." 

Gage did not see him, nor any of his staff, who had seemed to be meeting in a small hall adjacent to the kitchens. Jon made away with a cloth filled with raspberry tarts and roasted almonds, and one of the small honeyed chickens that had been left to cool on the counters. 

By the time Jon returned to his room, Arya was digging through his chests, one of his leather jerkins hanging off her small frame. "And who do you think is going to clean this mess up?" Jon asked. He gazed at the overturned chests and the clothes she had strewn about. 

"We can before we leave for supper." 

Jon laughed, spreading the treats out at his desk. "You honour me." 

She padded over and tucked into their spoils heartily, juice from the chicken running down her chin. 

Jon laughed, wiping her face with the sleeve of his tunic. "What would the septa say if she saw you now?" 

"Shut up!" 

*** 

Night had crept when they'd finally set up camp. 

Rhaenys found Dany in her tent, her handmaids attending her after a bath. "Even in the warmest of waters, your skin still barely pinks." 

Daenerys smiled, lunging upon her good-sister for affection. "Have you eaten already? Irri could fetch us something to dine on." 

"If I ate even another bite, I might just explode, and your niece with me," Rhaenys mused. Her spirits lifted from Dany's presence, and she resolved herself to share the news with her. "What has gotten into you, little sister?" 

"Nothing, I only wish to hold you close." 

Rhaenys raised an eyebrow, but brought her to the bed and coddled her nonetheless, watching her handmaids slipping out silently. "I've come to speak to you about... a matter." 

Dany stiffened in her hold, and concerned eyes met hers when she tipped her head back. "You can speak to me about anything. Is it your horse? Perhaps I can ask Drogo if we can get you a wheelhouse for-" 

Rhaenys hushed her with a kiss to her cheek, drawing the girl up into her arms. "There's no need to bother your Khal over things like that. Your comfort is the most important." Dany relaxed somewhat, cuddling into her side. "Tell me, has he treated you any better?" 

"Better than before," Dany replies, a hand trailing the bump nestled into her side. "He ignores me mostly, but I'm grateful for it. I'm too busy admiring the scenery of our rides to entertain conversation." 

"I'm sorry I can't be by your side to see it as often as I want, my horse and I disagree most days." The brunet tangled their legs together. "Ser Jorah says we'll come upon Norvos soon." 

Dany nodded. "Irri has said the same." 

"I don't want to leave you, but I fear I won't be able to go on any further with this belly." Rhaenys grasped their hands together over the swell of her child, and for a moment Dany likened it to her eggs. Warm and fluttering with life. 

She would never say this out loud though, for everyone knew the eggs had turned to stone a long time ago, and Dany did not want to look crazy with her talks of stone eggs coming alive and dragon dreams. _The dragon comes only to me, it is only right and proper that I keep it's secrets._

____

____

"-meet you by Vaes Dothrak, or on your way back, depending on when the baby arrives," Rhaenys continued, lulling Dany out of her thoughts with her sweet voice. "I asked Illyrio to write ahead, and Ser Jorah tells me Mellario is expecting us." 

Dany paused, swallowing down her sadness. "That's good then, you'll be able to birth her safely, and in a featherbed." 

Rhaenys smiled softly at her attempt at humour. "Viserys will come too, though unhappily. He fears your husband doesn't mean to honour his promise, but he certainly doesn't understand the ways of man. Planting seeds doesn't reap rewards overnight." 

"Viserys can be foolish at times. Even with the Dothraki at his back, he'd still need allies in Westeros." Though Dany was sad to see Rhaenys go, her brother had been an unwelcomed shadow most days, annoying even his wife with his complaints. This wasn't a life he could get used to, and a small part of Dany felt proud that she had overcome what he couldn't. 

"That he will, though he doesn't seem to be thinking past getting the khalasar behind his back. I suppose that's why I'm his wife, to do the thinking for both of us." 

"You always did." Dany paused, then continued. "Take care of him, I worry that he is getting too consumed with his plans. Robert has thousands of men at his back, and we don't even have the ships to get to Westeros. Dorne and the Dothraki are but a drop in the ocean." 

"I know, and I'm afraid of what happens when the baby arrives. There's still so much to do, and I won't be there to watch his words for him." 

"Perhaps you can hash out the particulars of your alliance with Dorne, keep him busy with that." 

"I don't think Doran can travel this far, but Quentyn or Trystane visiting wouldn't seem suspicious. We'll have to keep our presence secret though, but I'm sure Robert's spies will find it odd we're no longer travelling with you." 

"No one would find it odd for you to be riding in a wheelhouse however, especially with how late you are into your pregnancy." 

"It could fool them for a bit, but that's all we need. Time." 

*** 

A fortnight before father leaves, Bran falls from the broken tower. 

His brother had been known for his climbing, having scrambled up and around the great walls of Winterfell since be could walk. He'd climbed the tower near a hundred times, and Jon himself had seen him climb, his feet and hands always sure. 

Within a day, the castle had started speculating over what caused his fall, from ghouls and ghosts scaring him, to the old tower finally giving in beneath him. Jon only found himself angering every time he heard people speak of it, and took to isolating himself with Ghost. He and Robb had gone to the place where their little brother had fallen, and found no broken stone. 

Lady Catelyn had been sitting at Bran's side since they'd found him, her grief so palpable, he could feel it choking him the few times he had went to see his brother, sneaking in beside Robb so that the woman wouldn't see him. She spared no words for him, and he tried his best to make himself smaller, no wanting to be banned from seeing his brother. 

A small part of Jon knew Bran was alright though, for Summer only grew stronger and sat a silent sentry beside him day and night. He couldn't be sure of this, of course, but he just _knew. _It wouldn't do any good to tell Lady Catelyn or his father this though.__

____

____

Silent, as always, Ghost padded beside him across the yard to the stables. Uncle Benjen was leaving prematurely, having been called up to the Wall by the Lord Commander. Jon was supposed to have gone with them, but his father had changed his mind, charging Jon to stay by Robb's side when he leaves. 

Lady Stark was not happy about it, Jon knew, but she stayed silent and by Bran's side mostly, ignoring the people around her. Leading his horse out, Benjen Stark was dressed in the black furs of the Night's Watch, the hilt of a sword gleaming at his waist. 

"Uncle," Jon greeted, embracing the man. "I should be going with you." 

"Next time you will," Benjen promised, ruffling his hair. "And then you can bring this great ghost of yours with. Not many men have seen direwolves, even the rangers." 

"He'll be happy trotting in the snow, would they allow me to take him out on rangings?" His Ghost had been the runt of the litter, but was growing just as fast as his siblings. 

"Sometimes we take dogs, why not a direwolf?" Benjen asked, his lips quirked up. "Here comes Robb." 

"Uncle." His brother's face lit up with a smile, white flakes crowning his hair. 

Benjen and Robb hugged, and the boy strapped a flagon to their uncle's saddle. "For the road," he said, winking. Ben laughed and mounted his horse, and with a last wave at the two of them, left Winterfell with his party and the Queen's dwarf brother. 

"That one's not going to enjoy the cold," Robb japed, slinging an arm across his brother's back. "He's been complaining about his cock falling off from the cold all week." 

Jon laughed. "I heard the Lannister guards say their balls have frozen up and tucked inside them." 

"The North isn't made for everyone, they should hurry up and leave if they feel so cold." Jon knew his brother did not truly mean it, knowing that their father and sisters would be leaving with them, but the Northeners had been growing more and more annoyed with their guests' presences since Bran's fall. 

"Where's Rickon? Gage says he and Shaggy have been destroying the kitchens every night." 

"I tucked him in next to Sansa, gods know he doesn't listen to anyone else, but we should go and get him before the rest of the castle wakes." Uncle Ben had chosen to ride at first light to make the most of the day. 

Jon waits in the hall while Robb goes in to retrieve Rickon, shaking the flakes out of his own hair. A light snow had picked up this morning, and Jon could tell it would be a cold day. 

Robb emerged with Rickon wrapped around him, the boy and his blanket sinking melting into Robb's furs. "Hey there, grumpkin." Jon shook his foot, laughing with Robb when Rickon grunted unhappily. 

"I think we should just put him to bed again, not much for him to do anyway." 

There's not much for them to do either, as both brothers find themselves huddling next to the younger for warmth. 

As his brothers lay bedside him, Jon shifted to see the sky in the east lighten, wondering unsurely about his family's future. 

*** 

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" 

Dany steeled her spine, kissing her good-sister on the cheek. "I'm sure. This is my place, and if this is all I can do to help you with the coming wars, I want to remain here." 

"You've grown too much for my liking." Dany laughed at Rhaenys, both their eyes pooling with tears. "I'm eager for the day we reunite." 

"Likewise, but it won't be too long. I'll have Ser Jorah wrote to you, and wrote about everything I see for you to read later." 

"I look forward to it, little sister. May the gods look out for you." 

"And you." Rhaenys stepped back, wiping discretely at her tears. Viserys was next, and Dany felt a little tug on her heart. She had been cold to her brother for a long time, and now a little part of her regretted it. 

"Are you settled?" She asked casually, eyeing their wheelhouse in the distance. A palanquin would be waiting for them in the city, to throw off any suspicion. 

Viserys clears his throat, looking off to the side. His silver hair came down to his shoulder blades now, and their was a tightness to his eyes. "Yes, thank you. Dany I-" 

"I know," Dany interrupts, hugging him around the waist and snuggling into him. 

"You don't, little sister. I wish I could go back and change things, but it seems not even the warlocks have that power. For now," he pauses, taking a deep breathe and kissing the top of her head, "all I can ask is that you forgive me. It hadn't been my wish to see you married to him, but speaking of things that could have been, and plans that never came to pass won't change the course of our lives. I only hope I can make the future better." 

"I'm sure you will. Be careful brother, and guard your tongue. Not everyone is your friend, and not every lord that makes you a promise means to keep it." 

Once they've left, Dany returns to her handmaids, getting ready for another day of riding. 


	3. Honeyed words, honeyed lips

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mother of Dragons is born, the heir to Winterfell has decisions to make, and Viserys gets an awakening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mistakes are all mine, will read through and fix as I go

In the Great Grass Sea, Dany had found herself with child, her sweet handmaidens proclaiming it a gift from the Great Stallion.

Even now she could remember her excitement then, pressing her hand against her still-flat stomach in wonderment. A life had been growing inside her, however early she was into her pregnancy. In Vaes Dothrak, they had celebrated her Rhaego as the stallion who would mount the world, and Dany had felt herself swell with pride, embracing her lord husband when he had promised to win Westeros for her family. 

All the while, she had felt a deeper connection to the three petrified dragon eggs the larger her son grew, pulling strength from them as her pregnancy advanced and her dreams got more vivid. _She _was the dragon, her dreams had shown, not Rhaegar, or Viserys, or Rhaenys. A part of her worried about her brother and good-sister's reaction to the woman she had become, but if they could share a throne, there should be space enough for her and her people. The gods would be cruel sending her dreams like these if they didn't mean to see it through.__

____

____

When her sun and stars had fallen off his horse, and Mirri Maz Duur had returned nothing but his body to her, a hopelessness had consumed Dany. She hadn't gotten to hold Rhaego, nor share a last moment with her lord husband while he was still lucid, and Dany cursed the women to a worse hell than she had experienced when she burned her. Her son had survived an attempt on their life from Robert Baratheon, only to die at the hands of the godswife's sorcery. But still, Rhaego's life had given her dragons birth, and her son lived on in them, always close to his mother. 

She sighed again, cursing her mind for wandering off to such thoughts. She, and what remained of her khalasar, had been making a slow trek across the red waste, riding by night to stave off the burning sun. Dany was aware of their low rations and the dangers that plagued them out here, but she was desperate to get them to safety. She had decided to follow the comet, the bleeding star that had adorned the sky the night she was reborn, the night her dragons had hatched, but she still knew not what lay at it's tail, or what was before them. 

Ser Jorah had been a source of strength in the days since most of Drogo's khalasar had abandoned them, and even now he rode beside her. Viserion scrambled up her hrakkar, coiling his tail around her arm. "Have the outriders returned? " 

"Not yet, khaleesi, the red waste stretches on." 

"Then we should continue riding, they'll catch up with us once the sun rises." 

*** 

Jon is sitting by the fire with Rickon and Bran, listening to Old Nan's familiar voice recounting stories he himself had heard at their age, of giants and grumpkins and the world that exists beyond the Wall. Outside in the courtyard, men moved, filling his fathers halls and planting their banners on the ramparts. 

Bran had a stubborn pout on his face, which Jon had noticed was becoming a resting feature on his brother's face, and a protest on his tongue. "You've told this story half a hundred times, Nan." 

"And I'll tell it half a hundred more. Do you wish to join your wolves then, since I'm not entertainment to your fashion?" 

The boy huffed, sinking into his chair. Jon would have to find some outlet for him, but Bran had shown no interest in anything besides the trips he'd take with Hodor, and even with Tyrion Lannister's saddle, he had been attack just a short while ago, making both Jon and Robb hesitate to let him ride any time soon. 

Later, worn out from chasing Rickon through the halls, Jon joins Robb in the lord's solar, Theon Greyjoy and his leer peering at him through slitted eyes. "And why does the bastard come calling the lord?" 

Jon gritted his teeth, doing his best to ignore the boy and Robb's chastisement, smirking with all his teeth when Greyjoy is sent away. "Must you two fight?" 

"I held my tongue, my lord, if only your ward could do the same." 

"Jon," Robb said, a tiredness seeping into his voice. 

"I'm sorry, I'll do well to stay away from Theon, especially with the guests around." 

"I'm sorry too, it's unfair of me to reprimand you for something you didn't do. Sit, please, I need some normalcy around me." 

"Heavy is the back that shoulders the burden?" Jon tries joking, pouring two cups full to the brim with wine. "Any news about Father?" 

"None yet." Robb's face in drawn into a scowl, and he drinks gingerly from the cup. "Don't look so somber, Jon. The Lannisters know they cannot harm him, especially with two kings already declaring Joffrey a bastard born from incest. When we set out to war, they'll have their hands full. More than three of their kingdoms will be in open rebellion soon." 

"Have you decided to claim for any king? Combining forces with either of the Robert's brothers would help in your campaign, especially now that Renly has the power of the Reach behind him. A lord's will cannot stop men from starving on the march, after all." 

"Father would have wanted me to claim for Stannis, but we fight for different things. I cannot let a squabble between families derail us from our goal, and I hear he fights with a queer god at his back now, Red R'hllor." 

Jon leans back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head. "Of course, these things need to be approached from all angles. Some part of me still can't believe we're doing this." 

"Me neither. I go to bed each night hoping I wake to Father in the great hall and the girls' teasing. And-and my mother too." Robb averts his eyes, staring hard and long at his callused fingertips. 

"We'll get then back, Robb, you'll see." Jon took his brother's hand in his, politely ignoring the shaking of his shoulders and how he clung desperately to Jon's hand. They sit there until there are only coals burning in the fireplace, and Jon finds himself thinking about his own mother, the featureless woman who had birthed him. 

*** 

In Qarth, Dany delighted in the marble pool outside her quarters, staring in wonder at the fish who nibbled on her skin. The sun shined bright here, as it did in Vaes Tolorro, but this was a city without any ghosts, it's people pale and beautiful, clad in fine clothes and the fruits Xaro Xhoan Doxas had had sent to their wing far bigger than the figs and grapes they had feasted on in the white city. 

Her mind wandered to her brother and good-sister, and a choking fear creeped up her neck. It had been several moon's turns since she had contact with them, and only now Dany had started to consider that if the Usurper had sent one of his creatures to kill her and her unborn son, surely he must have had an attempt on their lives too, if he knew where they were. 

She called for Irri desperately, instructing the girl to find out whether the merchant prince kept ravens, or if there was some way to send a message to Norvos. Her son was dead may have died, but Dany had family who yet remained to her. 

Feeling unease with knowing so little about what was going on in the world around her, Dany sent Jorah off to the docks to listen for any news of the Usurper, and Rakharo to explore the city of Qarth. She had had her fill of treachery with Mirri Maz Duur, and had no plans to sup on it again. 

As her handmaids toweled her dry, Dany's thoughts turned her current place, worlds away from Rhaenys and Viserys, and even further from Westeros. She had lost Doreah in the red waste, along with a third of her khalasar and their horses, but they had found relief in the City of Bones, with it's sweet water and secret gardens, and now the red comet had led her here, to a city she knew not. 

They had a purpose for bringing her here, she knew, for surely she and her khalasar would have starved and died had the gods not had plans for them. They would, hopefully, be generous in granting her wisdom for Dany knew the men who would be currying her favour tomorrow had their eyes on her dragons. 

"I need to be wary of the traps that lay ahead, and wise enough to tell friend from foe," Dany thinks, as they slide on her sandsilk robes. 

*** 

Rhaenys is abed with Viserra at her breast when Viserys tells them of the Usurper's death. Oberyn smiles devishly, rufflingly his hair and spinning her husband in circles. Viserra peers at them unhappily, curling further into her mother's breast. 

"You're unsettling your great-niece, uncle," Rhaenys chastises, shifting in the bed. 

"My apologies, sweet princess." Oberyn laughs, coming over to run a thumb over the baby's cheek. "You'll forgive me won't you?" 

Viserra huffs, turning her face away from the noise, and Rhaenys looks away, smiling at her uncle's shenanigans. Viserys is the one to ask what the news means for them. 

"For now, we wait, as Doran has suggested," Oberyn sneers, suddenly somber. Her uncle sinks back down into the chair beside her bed, his hands on his knees. The Red Viper had trekked across the Narrow Sea himself to see her and Viserys, and had remained despite Doran's frantic messengers. Her uncle had grown tired of waiting, and had taken his months with them to cultivate allies, both in Westeros and Essos. 

"It seems these Lannisters took themselves to be Targaryens," Viserys says, handing Doran's message over to Oberyn. "The boy-king is a bastard born of incest, a child of Cersei's body by the Kingslayer, or so Eddard Stark claimed." 

"Robert's dog wouldn't speak out against his son if it wasn't true. If there was one thing that wretched man was good for, it was his word." 

"And that boy took his head for it, do we need further proof?" Rhaenys asks. A light breeze wafts through the room and ruffles her hair, bringing with it the smell of roses from the garden below, thick and floral as she waits for her uncle's response. 

"Stannis Braratheon thinks not. He's proclaimed himself the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms, and so has his brother," Oberyn says, tapping a beat into the arm of his chair as his eyes scanned over the parchment. "The ravens arrived with an hour of each other." 

"And still Doran means for us to wait?" Viserys asks, incredulity apparent in his voice. "The kingdom is divided, what better time to set upon them?" 

"Don't be foolish, boy," Oberyn says, staring at Viserys now. "If you declare now, they'll make common cause and band together _against _you. You know little of how Targaryens are regarded now, thanks to the your father. We need to be more tactful here. Have you heard any news from your sister?"__

____

____

Viserys scowled, folding his arms over his chest. "No. Mellario's scouts haven't returned either." They had meant to meet her and the khalasar in Vaes Dothrak, but Rhaenys had been brought to bed with Viserra a moon earlier than expected, and after a hard birth, she still hadn't fully recovered, even half a year later. 

"Then we shall wait for her, and her husband's khalasar." 

"Has Doran spared any troops for these petty kings?" 

"Of course not, my brother will lay in wait until his hand is forced, and none of these kings have anything he wants, save for the man who would bring him Gregor Clegane's head." 

The room chilled suddenly, and a deep sadness pooled in Rhaenys. She had lost her father on the Trident, but he had died in battle, and the stories she'd heard of what happened to her little brother and mother still left her crying out in the night in terror. They hadn't asked to be butchered, and their only crime was being Targaryen and in the way of the Usurper's throne. 

"We will have his head ourselves," Viserys stated, clasping her hand in his on the bed. His confidence warmed her, but with the mess going on in Westeros, there was no doubt their plans would be derailed. 

Mentally, she pushed the horror away, steeling her spine what little she could. "We must plan on our own. Doran means to delay us until he dies, and none of my cousins have your resolve, uncle, save perhaps for Arianne." 

"Who is temperamental, but I cannot fault her, she gets that from me." 

"Do you think it's time to bring her into the fold?" 

"She is her father's heir, and the next Princess of Dorne, I couldn't imagine anyone better," Viserys says. "She is a leader in her own right, and would certainly do more than Doran does." 

"And tempermental, as I have told you," Oberyn speaks up, tossing the parchment to the side. "She speaks when she loses control, it is not yet time." 

"I'm sure she herself has valuable allies and can contri-" 

"It is _not _time, Prince Viserys."__

____

____

"How long do you mean to keep me waiting? Should we remain here for the rest of our lives? Keep watching every food cart that stops by to make sure no one is trying to poison our daughter? What is it you would have me do, Oberyn? I'm tired of waiting." 

"Then you won't survive Doran as your ally, all he does is wait." 

"If Doran won't fight for his own niece's crown, his words mean littlw more than wind." 

Rhaenys bristled then, interrupting the exchange to send Oberyn away to give Viserra to one of the nursemaids. "There is a darkness consuming you Viserys, and I don't like what I'm seeing." 

"My love, do you love the child you bore me?" Viserys leaned into the bed, and with a tenderness not fit for the conversation they were having, stroked her cheek and smoothed her hair from her face. 

"Of course I do. How can you even ask that? Viserra is my life." 

"As she is mine. She deserves to live in the sun, to run amongst other children, to sail, to _fly _without fear. How can we give her that when men still hunt us like we're little more than animals? They killed Aegon, little Aegon who hadn't even taken his first steps yet, with little more than a look back. I do not want to imagine what they'd do to our daughter, nor do I want her to live as we did."__

____

____

Rhaenys said nothing, angry that he was making sense while speaking so much madness at the same time. She took his hand, cradling it against her chest and asked him to be careful, to head Dany's words. "What we do now determines the rest of our lives. I cannot bare to lose you this early, my daughter doesn't deserve the grief." 

Viserys paused, then leaned forward to kiss her tenderly, an apology on his lips. "I love you, your word is more important than any other's, and if you think waiting is our best option fot now, I'll be more than happy to comply." 

"Thank you, just please, give it time. Find Dany, bring her home, and then we'll take things into our own hands. What monarchs are we that others determine our paths?" 

*** 

When Rhaenys and Viserra had fallen asleep later, Viserys made his way down the Sinner's Steps to one of the _friendlier _beer halls of the lower city, his head covered with a wool cloak. Westerosi men were few and far in-between in Norvos, but now and then could often be found among the travellers and caravens moving across Essos.__

____

____

Handing his coin over to a serving wench, Viserys swiped a cup off her tray, ignoring her protests to find a secluded spot to surveil the other patrons and listen for word of Westeros, in case Foran wasn't being completely honest with them. Sipping cautiously at his drink, he's unhappy to find it's nahsa, the drink the Norvoshi are so fond of, but the more he sipped, the more he came to like the flavour tonight. Honey swirled on his tongue, with hints of cinnamon, and the milk tasted fresh, warm. 

After a half hour with no word of Westeros from any of the patrons, and a few more cups of nahsa, Viserys abandoned his mission, slinking back out to find his way back to Mellario's estate. His head swirled somewhat, but he trudged on, the Sinner's Steps looking more and more daunting the further he climbed. 

A street away from Mellario's, he collapses, his mind haunted with dreams of dragons and long-dead relatives, and his little sister on the back of a dragon, a crown upon her head, bathing him in fire. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any guesses as to what triggered Vis' dream? I suck at being subtle

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, and I hope you liked reading! Time skips are a bitch (I know) and I'm sorry 💛
> 
> For you people scrambling my mentions about drogo/dany, please take that shit to twitter. He was never even supposed to be a focal point of this story. Sit back and endure what little there is of him, or find a better story (which there definitely are out there).


End file.
